Celina Knudson is a Year 12 student at Cheltenham Girls High School who is one of 30 incredible Art of Smart Future Leaders from across NSW for 2018.
Local Epping tutoring is available if you are looking for more support on leadership skills (and tutoring)!
Celina stood out from over 500 applications for her passion for environmental science and policy that will protect the environment for generations to come!
Our Future Leaders Program is NSW’s premier Career & Leadership program that invests in and supports young leaders in Years 10-12 at high school. The program provides mentoring, rigorous peer learning, skills development, work experience and national connections so young people can effectively answer the big question of “What am I going to do with my life when I finish school?” and develop the key skills they need to make an impact in their communities.
Celina has also been accepted into Macquarie University’s prestigious Global Leadership Entry Program (GLEP) to study a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Environment in 2019, by demonstrating that she is a global citizen and has made an active and significant contribution to society – an amazing achievement!
We recently spoke with Celina about her goals for the future, how she’s pursuing these goals during Year 12 and much more!
When you finish school, what do you want to do?
I want to study a Bachelor of Law/Bachelor of Environment at Macquarie University! By being accepted into Macquarie’s GLEP program, I received early entry into this double degree for 2019!
What is your long-term ‘dream big’ goal?
My long-term goal is to make a tangible difference to the Earth and the environment through drafting and implementing policies that will improve the state of the natural world. This is why I am motivated to study a double degree in Law and Environment!
What has inspired you to pursue this goal?
I realised this goal after doing an assignment in Year 10 about Yellowstone National Park in the US. At Yellowstone, the ecosystem was completely destroyed, but was able to be rehabilitated.
This showed me that although there has been devastating damage to the environment from the human population, but there are ways we are able to reverse it. It also showed me that through studying the function of normal ecosystems and implementing informed policies, I could make a difference.
What subjects are you currently taking for your HSC?
I’m taking English Advanced, Biology, Legal Studies, and Earth and Environmental Science. I also did accelerated Aboriginal Studies last year.
My favourite subject is Earth and Environmental Science because it encapsulates my love for the environment and helps me develop problem solving skills to find ways to reduce human impact on the environment.
What is the biggest challenge you’re experiencing at school at the moment?
My biggest challenge at school is working to improve my marks in English, because they’re about 25% lower than the rest of my subjects.
To tackle this challenge, I’ve been doing tutoring at Art of Smart as part of the Future Leaders Program 2018. I’m also doing a lot more practice questions and responses, because I find this is the best way to get comfortable and familiar with the content and assessments,
What is the #1 study tip you’d recommend to other students to implement?
Teach others!
Teaching content from your subjects to other people is an amazing way of solidifying your knowledge and ensuring that you can put into words what you’ve learnt in a subject. By communicating what you do know about a subject, you also find out what you don’t yet know or what you don’t completely understand yet.
When I help my friends with areas they’re unsure of in the Legal Studies or Earth and Environmental Science, it not only helps me to revise but verbally answer a question that could be asked in exams. It’s a great way to test yourself and your friends!
What extracurricular activities are you currently involved in?
I’m currently in the Philosophy Club at my school.
I love being apart of Philosophy Club, because it enables me to question my values and solidify my stance on a range of issues. It also allows me to expand my knowledge of history and moments throughout history that have resulted in old philosophies being scrapped, and new philosophies becoming dominant.
Where do you work and what has your biggest learning from working been?
I currently work at a local chemist, where I pack medications for nursing homes. I have also worked at KFC and a cafe in Pennant Hills.
My biggest learning from working at these jobs is how to get along with people that you disagree with or who make it very hard to get along with, which is a very important skill!
What is your favourite hobby?
I really enjoy watching documentaries and the news, especially anything by David Attenborough or 4 Corners on the ABC!
What is a quote that inspires you?
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.” ~The Onceler/Lorax
What does it mean to you to be a future leader?
To me, being a Future Leader means wanting to make a difference in the world, and being someone willing to pioneer change despite difficulties that may arise.
About Art of Smart and the Future Leaders Program
Art of Smart is a multi-award winning provider of world-class HSC tutoring and inspirational mentoring. Recognising that excelling at school takes more than a focus on the syllabus, over the last 8 years, we have built a reputation for our holistic approach to helping students develop both strong academic foundations and critical study, exam and life skills.
Based on 8+ years of research we’ve conducted with Australia’s top students, we’ve helped over 4,000 students on average achieve mark improvements of 19.41% and help students successfully transition from school to rewarding and challenging studies & careers.
